LETTERS: NORTH COUNTY, MAY 6, 2013

Enjoyed article on San Onofre

I just wanted to say that the article titled “Someone Saw This Coming” (SD In Depth, April 21) was very clearly written.

I had often heard about corroded pipes at the San Onofre power plant, but this was the first time I got the background, how it affected people and the true cause of the problem.

Thanks, Morgan Lee, for the great research and writing.

Andrew K. Lukes

Escondido

Housing concern in Oceanside is not addressed

In response to a letter written by Greg Dauss (“Danger in a full house,” Letters, April 26), who wrote about a house fire in Oceanside that displaced 15 family members: This problem goes back to August 2008, when I sent letters to Supervisor Bill Horn and Rep. Darrell E. Issa about crowded homes.

According to Oceanside city officials, state housing law requires 70 square feet per person. In a single-family home of 1,236 square feet, four bedrooms and two bathrooms, this would mean that 17.66 people could live in this home.

This would be completely unsanitary.

The state law needs to be changed to 300 square feet per person, which would mean that 4.12 people could live in a single-family home of 1,236 square feet.

Normally a family consists of about four people; any larger family would require you get a larger home.

Three years ago, there was an article in the North County Times titled, “Oceanside: City to study permits for crowded homes. Tighter regulation is up for council review.”

Nothing has been done to control crowded homes since then.

It’s the same old runaround and passing the buck to someone else.

Kenneth D. Tomlinson

Oceanside

Parental involvement

In response to “Boston terror: no immigration story” (Opinion, April 25):

Recently on a Bakersfield TV station, there was an advertisement showing two young Mexican children (5 to 8 years old) stating that they wanted to learn English so that they could go to college.

The advertisement was funded by a politician looking for more educational funding.

Needless to say, new immigrants were not being asked to fund this expanded education program.

To me, the immigration challenge is more one of educating the next generation of immigrant children. Indications are of limited involvement from immigrant parents, high dropout rates of their children and the issue of Mexican youth gangs.

All of these factors will contribute to a decline in the “quality of life” for the next generation of all Americans.

Without strong parental support of education, the system is doomed.

I see no indication of this level of support from the immigrant parental community (nor the nonimmigrant parental community, for that matter).

More educational funding is a “waste of money” until parental involvement greatly improves.

Dan Dreblow

Carlsbad

Budget presents complete picture

I appreciate Jeremy Jungreis’ attempt to clarify the budgetary issues involved in this proposed sewer rate hike in his response (“Sewer rate hike,” Letters, April 25) to my earlier letter to this paper (published April 13).

Mr. Jungreis claims I presented an incomplete picture. For anyone following along (who may not want to have their sewer rates increase 12 percent for no reason in the next four years), the Oceanside budget documents are available online.

This document seems to present a very complete picture.

Actual dollars spent on personnel costs (total personnel costs plus professional services plus temp agencies) in fiscal year 2011-12 was $7,222,190. For fiscal year 12-13, a total of $8,784,647 was approved for the same categories.

On my calculator, that’s an increase of $1,562,457, or 21.63 percent. The “fringe benefit burden” component of this alone goes from $1,741,078 to $2,063,568 — an increase of $322,490, or 18.52 percent. How is this a “1 percent decrease in personnel costs?”

I understand you want to compare what you thought you were going to spend in 2011-12 with what you think you’re going to spend in 2012-13. However, in the real world, what’s important is what you actually do spend. That’s the actual money that comes out of taxpayers’ pockets.

Repairs and maintenance are important. During this same period, repairs and maintenance costs increased $119,482, or what seems like a reasonable 6.79 percent. And I should point out this is about half the dollar increase in fringe-benefit costs.

If we need more money for repairs, fine — make your case with real numbers. But so far, all those real numbers show is a very small increase in repair and maintenance costs, and a very large increase in personnel costs.

Todd Maddison

Oceanside

U-T San Diego North County letters policy

U-T San Diego North County encourages community dialogue on important public matters and welcomes letters to the editor, of 125 words or less. All letters are subject to editing. Letters must include a full name, community of residence and a daytime telephone number, though the phone number will not be published. Email submissions are preferred to northletters@
utsandiego.com. Letters can also be faxed to (760) 740-5464, or mailed to Letters Editor, 207 E. Pennsylvania Ave., Escondido, CA 92025.

U-T San Diego North County letters policy

U-T San Diego North County encourages community dialogue on news stories and important public matters. We welcome letters to the editor of 125 words or less. All letters are subject to editing, and not all letters will be published. Letters must include a full name, community of residence and a daytime telephone number, though the phone number will not be published. Email submissions may be sent to
northletters@utsandiego.com.

U-T San Diego North County letters policy

U-T San Diego North County encourages community

dialogue on news stories and important public matters. We welcome letters to the editor of 125 words or less. All letters are subject to editing, and not all letters will be published. Letters must include a full name, community

of residence and a daytime telephone number, though the

phone number will not be published. Email submissions may be sent to northletters@
utsandiego.com.